Customer Reviews

Rogue Hunter: Quest of the Hunter

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

With all the other reviews favorable, I almost hesitate to write this, but I'm still kicking myself for paying $0.99 for this book when first released, so feel the need to offer a warning now that the price is higher.

I consider Rogue Hunter a sophomoric effort. It paints an interesting universe and possible future for humankind. However, the sheer number and impossibility of Zyra's near-escapes quickly grew tiring. It's customary in sci-fi books to at least nod in the direction of scientific credibility, but this one was more like a James Bond book in that regard.

As a computer professional, I was also astounded at how quickly and easily Zyra was portrayed as accessing in a second or two locks and computers whose designs spanned hundreds of years and multiple alien civilizations. I also cannot imagine a real place with security forces as easily overcome as almost every place in this book. I found Zyra's encounter suit interesting, though not credible in its constantly being close to failure yet never actually useless. The single least credible scene for me was when Zyra hijacked a spaceship, supposedly held a gun on its captain for a multi-day trip during which the captain was not even allowed to use a bathroom.

As noted by another reviewer, the book did improve somewhat in the second half, particularly when Zyra rescued and grew to care about a child, and further as she began to care about more than revenge, but by the end of the book my earlier lower opinion had returned, and I just wanted out.

I don't usually read Sci-Fi books set in space, but I made an exception in this case. I'm glad I did.

Plot/Storyline: 4.50 Stars

The plot was concise and straightforward without a lot of side plots to confuse the reader. It was well executed and, for a sci-fi novel, fairly realistic.

The story starts off with a bang with one thing after another happening to poor Zyra. After the first chapter or two, I started to wonder if maybe this was just going to be some biography of Zyra without an overall plot. However, the author ties all of Zyra's adventures together nicely.

There were a few interludes with pieces of the story told from other viewpoints. These just seemed unnecessary as we were following the main character and only needed to know what she knew, when she knew it.

Character Development: 5 Stars

This was an awesome story with a terrific main character, Zyra. The character development for Zyra was wonderful, making the reader feel part of her story.

All side characters were developed to an appropriate level for the reader to understand their motivations.

Writing Style: 5 Stars

The dialogue was realistic and rather humorous, but never in the wrong places. In other words, the main character wasn't constantly getting off 'zingers' at inappropriate moments, but was an intelligent conversant.

Editing/Kindle Formatting: 5 Stars

The book is extremely well edited with little or no errors. The Kindle formatting was also nice with a picture of the cover as the first page.


Overall:
A fascinating sci-fi adventure novel from an extremely talented and imaginative author.

Rating: PG-13 for violence and sexual innuendo

This is the first space opera novel I've spent the time reading - and it was very exciting stuff. The language (futuristic language) and settings were utterly believable - check out Zyra's outfit: the "encounter-suit (an exoskeletal arrangement of high-tech machinery and 52nd century body armor), to detect even the slightest variation of her bio-signs - a most vital instrument during her 'hunts.'" Snazzy!

Zyra is not to be messed with; she was a cadet in the Intergalactic Alliance Space Marine Academy. The action scenes really showcase her excellent fighting abilities. Now lest you think that the character is a kick-butt girl with no brain, there's the following text (from the book):

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Contrary to popular belief, thorough investigation of her targets (not her trigger finger!) was the reason for her success as an intergalactic bounty hunter.

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I enjoyed the above passage in the book lots. At the same time that Zyra is trying to "fit together the pieces" of the puzzle (regarding her efforts in locating Fal Orono's hiding place) - the reader is given an extremely detailed and vivid backdrop of the world this entire story takes place in. I thought that was very skillful and original on the author's part.

The strength and internal struggles of the lead female character were well-presented - she is a great strong, female protagonist. She's dead focused on a mission - she's intelligent - she's able to "move with a fox's grace", while infiltrating a missile base! Reminds me of the accomplished, acrobatic Lara Croft (from the ubertastic Tomb Raider world).

The ending leaves you wanting to know what happens next (in a good way) - which you can find out in the sequel. The last line of Rogue Hunter totally sums up Zyra's character - a very satisfactory line that resonates long after.

Rogue Hunter: Quest of the Hunter (DRM-FREE)

This book is one of those stories where you can imagine that you are the hero saving the universe. I love the fact that the hero is actually a heroine and shows that Boba Fett is not the only great hunter in the universe. Bravo to the author on the story and creating a worl that draws the user in. I loved it!

Sci-Fi is not my first choice of genre, as I've previously read quite a few authors from Crichton, whom I found long-winded in places, to Azimov. I found him a bit too far fetched. Both excellent writers nonetheless. If only there was an author that slotted right in the middle. Thankfully, I found that missing piece of work in the form of Rogue Hunter. Mr Hendrickson should be very proud of this book.

OK, so what does a non Sci-Fi buff make of it? The beauty is that, if you enjoy stories that are packed full of action, adventure, emotion, suspense, fun, laser fire, explosions and the imagery of shooting across the stars in a broken down ship called Helship-II, with an attitude to match it's owner, the battle-scared babe, Zyra.

Mr Hendrickson has created a myriad of multi-layered characters, each feeding off another and bringing to the fore those all-important reasons why we hate or love a character. The actors attitudes tend to reflect the complexity of the universe and different time zones in which they reside.

The first few chapters are used to grab you by both arms, the middle shakes you `till your teeth chatter with the fast pace, then the thrill at the last part of the book hits you with 1000 volt shocks until the last page. It's a shame there was a last page, I love roller coaster rides. I may emerge myself again in this book to escape reality in future.

Zyra Zanr is a woman on a mission. As a bounty hunter, her livelihood depends on her skills in tracking and capturing the worst felons the Three Galaxies has to offer. However, that's just the job she does to keep food in her belly and her ship repaired, and things haven't been going too well on that front. Zyra's real passion is to hunt down the criminal syndicate, Zaragos, that killed her father. It's a passion that will take her on an adventure through space and time. And an adventure that I had a great time sharing with her. I had hesitated buying the book for a while because of the cover. It looked to "video game," or "adolescent male fantasy" for my taste. But I was persuaded to give it a try and once I started, I was hooked.

I'm a traditional science fiction fan, and this book falls into the space opera/action/adventure sub-genre, written by someone with a sly sense of humor and a nice turn of phrase. Zyra is a well-developed character, and the people with whom she interacts are equally well written. The 52nd century universe she lives in is described in enough detail to give the reader a good background against which to watch the action unfold. And the action is wonderful roller-coaster of a ride to keep me on the edge of my seat to find out where it would end.

There are some unresolved issues by the end of the book, but it is billed as the first of a series, so that is to be expected. While this might deter some readers, the book does well as a stand alone. So, don't make the same mistake I did and judge this book by its cover, take a chance and at least sample it on your kindle. Hopefully then you'll feel like buying it.

Kevis Hendrickson lays the groundwork for what promises to be a complex and gripping series. This would have been a 5 star, except that in an effort to fully set up the story it felt too rushed. As a result, I was not really able to like Zyra until over half way through. But the last half of the book really brings it to life, and leaves enough questions unanswered that your itching for the next book.

Kevis Hendrickson has a winner with Zyra Zanr, bounty hunter extraordinaire and heroine of an adventure-heavy, tech-light space opera. Clever writing without exhaustive exposition draws the reader into the story-and while it might not be hard enough SF for the genre police, Zyra's intergalactic escapades remind me of other popular operatic sci-fi (can someone say Firefly?) Luckily, unlike with the killed-before-its-time tv show Firefly, the Rogue Hunter series continues beyond this first book. One reader's happy about that, at least-our protagonist Zyra Zanr is a complex character, and if there's something Hendrickson particularly excels at, it's characterization.

Reading Time: At 200+ pages, I'd say 2+ weeks.

Recommendation: I won't be suggesting this book to my friends in the computer science department, but for the casual SF reader, there's always room for another entertaining space opera.

I have to say before I begin I am a big fan of all things sci-fi. One of the best shows that unfortunately was cancelled before it had a shot to play out was Firefly. Rogue Hunter: Quest of the Hunter, plays out much like Firefly, but carries its own weight. The story engages the reader in a story of what happens to the human race. A future look into where we go as a race always changes based on the writer. But Hendrickson's tale of humanity's future travels takes a different direction than Star Wars or Star Trek. When you read a space tale you want something original and unique to take your mind away and into space hopping around the galaxy.


Now the real story is about the "Rogue Hunter". A hero in any story has their own reasons for fighting for those that can't fight back. Zyra Zanr journey is no different. Hendrickson creates a hero that wears so many hats that it would weigh anyone down. Zyra Zanr is a woman, a bounty hunter, a warrior, and yes, a hero. Hendrickson seems to effortless move about each part of this woman's life. You will enjoy reading how this girl kicks ass while feeling for her as the man she loves is killed.


Zyra's quest to unravel the mystery surrounding the death of her father results in an epic showdown with the forces of Zaragos, where Zyra shows the strength of will to bring those responsible to justice. In the end she takes up the fight to protect humans, shedding her rogue exterior to embrace her destiny.


I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to everyone. I look forward to the sequel.

The year is 4800 A.D. Humanity has moved to the stars, a new age has begun. After years of conflict with the alien races of the Draedea Galaxy, the Human Confederation of Worlds has aligned itself with the Space Union to form a new government called the InterGalactic Alliance. Peace brings prosperity to humanity. Anxious to take their place as premier members of the Alliance, humans are poised to become the strongest race in the galaxy, but the threat of war looms on the horizon. A clandestine force operating behind the guise of a powerful criminal organization conspires to destroy the InterGalactic Alliance. Unbeknownst to her, all that stands between this sinister plot for humanity's destruction is a young bounty hunter named Zyra Zanr. And so it begins...

This novel by Kevis Hendrickson is wonderfully set in a science fiction world, but in my opinion is really an action-adventure novel in disguise. Trade the future for the old west, it's an old fashioned shoot'em up. That's not at all a bad thing, I prefer action and adventure to heavyweight science fiction. All the sci fi elements are there, but they're just an interesting backdrop to the well written action, romance, and adventure. Yes, you read that right, this book as all the elements of all four genres. If you like sci fi, there's plenty of that. If you want romance, there's a great romance in this story, all wrapped up in lots of action and adventure. I had to put this book aside at times, but didn't want to. It's a very pleasurable read, not very difficult to understand, and keeps you turning pages, or in this case scrolling down, I read an early edition in electronic format. Speaking to that, I read the early edition, at that time it was a very pleasant read, but there were some minor repairs needed. If those repairs are made when Mr. Hendrickson is in top form, this book may become a true masterpiece of the genre, whichever genre that might be. It's close to that magical level already, it wouldn't surprise me if this book makes the jump to world class, spiraling to the heights of Doug Adams, or maybe even as well known and respected as Rodenberry. Mr. Hendrickson is already a magnificent writer, at the rate he keeps improving, it shouldn't be very long until he soars with the greats of our age, perhaps he can even surpass them, that my friends, only time will tell.